This week, GM finally gets back to Now and a Long Time Ago. And it’s the corner of 30th and M that he visits.

Unfortunately, GM was unable to find out anything about the shops that once occupied these spaces. At the center is Wayne’s, which was a TV repair shop. On the right is a stereo/record shop called something “fidelity”. GM can’t really add anything else.

But GM did locate a sad story associated with these buildings. In April 1947, a 13 year old boy named Embrey Kitts from Dumbarton St. met up with his friends, including the brothers James and William Wilson of 2920 M St., and rented a rowboat to fish in the Potomac.

Unfortunately the boat sank and poor Embrey Kitts couldn’t swim. He drown about a mile up the river from the Key Bridge. He was a first year student at Gordon Junior High, which is now Hardy Middle School.